Liuhe Pagoda

Liuhe Pagoda , literally Six Harmonies Pagoda or Six Harmonies Tower, is multi-storied Chinese pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, . It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River. It was originally constructed during the Northern Song Dynasty , destroyed in 1121, and reconstructed fully by 1165, during the Southern Song Dynasty .

History and background

The pagoda was originally constructed by the ruler of the Wuyue State, some of which would later makeup Zhejiang province. The name 'Liuhe' comes from the six Buddhist ordinances and it is said that the reason for building the pagoda was to calm the tidal bore of the Qiantang River and as a navigational aid. However, the pagoda was completely destroyed during warfare in the year 1121.

After the current pagoda was constructed of wood and brick during the Southern Song Dynasty, additional exterior eaves were added during the and Dynasties . The pagoda is octagonal in shape and some 59.89 meters in height, it also has the appearance of being a thirteen-story structure, though it only has seven interior stories. There is a spiral staircase leading to the top floor and upon each of the seven ceilings are carved and painted figures including animals, flowers, birds and characters. Each story of the pagoda consists of four elements, the exterior walls, a zigzagged corridor, the interior walls and a small chamber. Viewed from outside, the pagoda appears to be layered-bright on the upper surface and dark underneath. That is a harmonious alternation of light and shade.

According to historian Joseph Needham, the pagoda also served as a lighthouse along the Qiantang River. Being of considerable size and stature, it actually served as a permanent lighthouse from nearly its beginning, to aid sailors in seeking anchorage for their ships at night .

Lingxiao Pagoda

The Lingxiao Pagoda is a Chinese pagoda west of the Xinglong Temple in Zhengding, Hebei Province, China.

History

The original pagoda that stood at the same site was dubbed the Wooden Pagoda, and was built in 860 AD during the Tang Dynasty . The pagoda's present form of brick and wood dates to 1045 AD during the reign of of the Song Dynasty , and was renovated and restored in the , , and dynasties. It was formerly part of the Tianning Monastery, and although the latter no longer exists, the pagoda has been well-preserved since the 11th century. In 1966 the pagoda was damaged in an earthquake, but immediate repairs have kept it standing and open to the public.

Features

The brick base and structure of the 42 m tall pagoda ends after the 4th floor, as the rest of its height from the 5th floor up is purely wooden construction. It features a total of nine stories with nine wooden tiers of eaves encircling the octagonal frame of the pagoda. In the center of the pagoda stands a large column, a feature of Chinese architecture in pagodas that was discontinued sometime after the Song and Yuan periods. Built a decade later in 1055, the Liaodi Pagoda also features an inner column, in the shape of another pagoda. Within the interior of the Lingxiao Pagoda, a wooden staircase leads up to the 4th floor. The pagoda is also crowned with a cast iron spire.

Liaodi Pagoda

The Liaodi Pagoda of Kaiyuan Monastery, Dingzhou, Hebei Province, China is the tallest existing pre-modern Chinese pagoda, built in the 11th century during the Song Dynasty . The pagoda stands at a height of 84 m , resting on a large platform with an octagonal base. Upon completion in 1055, the Liaodi Pagoda surpassed the height of China's previously tallest pagoda still standing, the central pagoda of the Three Pagodas built during the Tang Dynasty, which stands at 69.13 m . The tallest pagoda in Chinese history was a 100 m tall wooden pagoda tower in Chang'an built in 611 by Emperor Yang of Sui, yet this structure no longer stands.

History

Construction on this stone and brick pagoda began in the year 1001 AD during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, and was completed in 1055 AD during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song. Although Emperor Zhenzong intended to have Buddhist gathered by the Chinese monk Huineng from India stored at the pagoda's site, the pagoda served another important function besides religious. Due to its building at a strategic military location, the height of the pagoda made it pristine as a watchtower, which could be used to spot enemy movements coming from the northern Liao Dynasty headed by China's Khitan rivals.

Another pagoda of similar height and design is the Chongwen Pagoda of Shaanxi Province. Completed in 1605 during the Ming Dynasty, this pagoda stands at a height of 79 m , making it the second tallest pagoda built in pre-modern China.

Features

Each floor of the Liaodi Pagoda features gradually-tiered stone eaves, doors and windows while the first floor has an encircling balcony. A split section of the pagoda's walls are open so that the tower's interior may be viewed, along with the actual thickness of the walls. At the top of its steeple, the pagoda features a crowning spire made of bronze and iron. In the interior a large staircase with landings for each floor winds from the bottom all the way up to the top floor. Brick brackets are used to support the landings on each floor, while from the eighth story up there is no brackets supporting the vaulted ceiling. Within the pagoda is a large pillar in the shape of another pagoda, as seen from the inside and as viewed from the cut section. The sinologist and architectural author Nancy Steinhardt features a picture and caption for this in her book ''Liao Architecture''. The painted murals and stone steles with Chinese calligraphy in the pagoda are dated to the Song period when the pagoda was built.

Leifeng Pagoda

Leifeng Pagoda is currently a five story tall tower which has eight sides and is located on Sunset Hill along the south route of the West Lake in Hangzhou which was originally constructed in the year AD 975. It has been a popular tourist attraction since being rebuilt in 2002.

History of the pagoda

The original pagoda was built in 975 AD, during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, at the order of King Qian Chu of Wuyue. It was built to celebrate the birth of Qian Chu's son, born to Huang Fei, one of his favorite concubines. The Leifeng Pagoda was an octagonal, five-storeyed structure built of brick and wood and with a base built out of bricks.

During the Ming dynasty, attacked Hangzhou. Suspecting it contained weapons, they burned its wooden elements, leaving only the brick skeleton, as can be seen from Ming paintings of the West Lake.

Later, due to a superstition that bricks from the tower could repel illness or prevent miscarriage, many people stole bricks from the tower to grind into powder. On the afternoon of September 25 1924, the pagoda finally collapsed due to disrepair.

Construction of the original

Leifeng Pagoda was originally an octagonal, five-storied tower of brick and wood.

As for whether there was a mausoleum below, this was debated for years until finally radar was used to investigate. On March 11 2001 the mausoleum was excavated and many treasures were found, most notably a gold and silver coated hair of the Buddha.

Reconstruction

In October 1999, the provincial and municipal governments complied with the aspirations of the general public decided to rebuild Leifeng Pagoda anew to enhance the scenery of the lake. The body of the pagoda was be based on a steel structure and copper parts which was made up of 1400 tonnes of steel and 200 tonnes of copper.
On 25 October 2002, the rebuilt Leifeng Pagoda opened, built above the ruins of the old one and with documents and exhibits on show for visitors. The current structure contains four sightseeing elevators, and modern features including air conditioners, televisions and speakers. At the entrance of the pagoda there are two autonomous elevators to carry visitors to the foot of the pagoda. The original base of the pagoda is kept in good condition as well as the treasures discovered in a undergroud chamber.

In Culture

Leifeng Pagoda was one of the ten sights of the West Lake because of the .

One Day Trip

This was the last stop in Hangzhou on August 13. You can see this building in the distance in some of the West Lake pictures. Lei Feng means "Thunder Peak", and Pagoda refers to the style of building.

The story about this particular Pagoda has to do with Bai Su-Zheng. She was a White Snake, the most elegant and beautiful of all snakes. One day she was visiting Hangzhou with her sister, the Green Snake, and they used their magical powers to disguise themselves as beautiful women. It began raining heavily, and the man Xu Xian offered them his umbrella, not knowing that they were supernatural. Immediately, Bai Su-Zheng and Xu Xian fell in love; soon after they were married, and Bai Su-Zheng even became pregnant. She never told Xu Xian about her true self.

But the monk Fa Hai warned Xu Xian that his wife was a snake, and he suggested that Xu Xian give his wife a special wine to drink at the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival. When she drank the wine, Bai Su-Zheng returned to her white snake form and Xu Xian was literally scared to death. Bai Su-Zheng was so upset that she risked her own life to go to Kunlun mountain and steal a special herb that would bring Xu Xian back from the dead. Unfortunately she was caught, but the Guard was so moved by her bravery and love that he gave her the herb anyway and she brought Xu Xian back to life.

However, when he awoke Xu Xian was still frightened and fled. To keep him separated from his wife, Fai Hai confined Xu Xian to the Temple and forced him to become a monk. Bai Su-Zheng begged Fa Hai to release Xu Xian, but he refused. Bai Su-Zheng brought war on Fa Hai. In the end, she ultimately lost the battle and returned to Hangzhou in defeat. Little did they all know that during the fighting Xu Xian was secretly released by a young monk. He happened to return to the same place in Hangzhou, where he had first met his wife. They were reunited and they lived happily. Bai Su-Zheng had a baby boy.

But Fa Hai wouldn't give up so easily and he went to heaven to enlist the aid of a powerful fighter with a magic lantern. One day Xu Xian went to buy a hat for his son, but the hat was actually the lantern, which caused Bai Su-Zheng to come under the spell of the fighter. He imprisoned her under the Lei Feng Pagoda where she remained for many years. In the meantime, the Green Snake practiced her magic. Finally she was strong enough to defeat Fa Hai, destroy the Lei Feng Pagoda, and release White Snake who immediately rejoined her husband and son. They lived happily ever after.

This site was rebuilt recently by the government and is quite up-to-date. Notice the escalator outside.

Links

*http://www.hz-west-lake.cn/
*http://www.visithangzhou.com/cmarter.asp?doc=1105
*http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2003-10/13/content_336626.htm

Iron Pagoda

The Iron Pagoda of Youguo Temple , Kaifeng City, Henan province, is a Buddhist Chinese pagoda built in 1049 AD during the Song Dynasty of . It was a brick pagoda tower built on the location of a previous wooden pagoda that had been burnt down by lightning fire in 1044 AD. Along with the , , , , and pagodas, it is seen as a masterpiece of Song Dynasty architecture.

Architecture

This octagonal-base structure stands at a current height of 56.88 meters , with a total of 13 stories. It is a solid-core brick tower with an inner spiral stone staircase and outside openings to allow light and air flow. The architectural style features densely positioned, ''dougong'' in the eaves and multiple stories . Under the eaves are 104 that ring in the wind. The foundation rests in the silt of the Yellow River. Inside the Iron Pagoda are frescos of the classical Chinese tale, the ''Journey to the West''.

History

In the dynasty's capital city of Kaifeng, the famous architect Yu Hao built a magnificent wooden pagoda as part of Youguo Temple that was considered by many of his contemporaries to be a marvel of art. It was thirteen stories and 120 meters high. Unfortunately, the widely admired structure burned down in 1044 after a lightning strike.

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda , is a located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi province, . It was built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five stories, although the structure was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade renovated during the Ming Dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of the that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveller Xuanzang.

Surroundings and history

The original pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang , then standing at a height of 54 m . However, this construction of rammed earth with a stone exterior facade eventually collapsed five decades later. The ruling Empress had the pagoda rebuilt and added five new stories by the year 704 AD. However, heavily damaged the pagoda and reduced it by three stories, to its current height of seven stories. Its related structure, the 8th century Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, only suffered minor damage in the 1556 earthquake . The monastic grounds around the pagoda during the Tang Dynasty had ten courtyards and a total of 1,897 bays. In those days graduate students of the in Chang'an inscribed their names at this monastery.

Close by the pagoda is the Temple of Great Maternal Grace; Da Ci'en. This temple was originally built in and then rebuilt in memory of his mother Empress Wende by Li Zhi who later became the Tang Emperor .

The monk Xuanzang's statue stands in front of the temple area.

Futuci Pagoda

Futuci Pagoda is a wooden that was built in Xuzhou during the Three Kingdoms period in China.